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Old 03-30-2007, 03:14 PM   #1
sticks2007
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Default Towing 3326 With 2002 Ford Escape

Hello, I live in Texas am new to this forum and am considering a TM for living in full time. I own a 2002 Ford Escape with a V6 and tow package. I was considering the 3326 since it is the roomiest of the TM's and, according to the brochure, weighs 3520 lbs. My Escape is rated to tow 3500 lbs. However, after reading a few of these threads I have seen that it is recommended to have a TV rated at 5000 lbs or so to tow the 3326. Which is correct? I don't plan on doing a lot of towing - just to my RV site and maybe a few short local trips every now and then. What do you guys think? I appreciate your replies.
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Old 03-31-2007, 10:01 AM   #2
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103.1 - - Pretty short IMO. I wouldn't want to pull even the 3023 with our Jimmy. (The same thing as Leon's Trailblazer)
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Old 03-31-2007, 10:37 AM   #3
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Besides max towing weight, consider tongue weight, also -- even a 2720 is going to have 400-500 lbs or more on the tongue, fully loaded. I suspect a vehicle rated at 3500 lbs will have trouble with that much tongue weight.
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Old 03-31-2007, 06:37 PM   #4
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I keep hearing comments here about needing a long wheelbase TV to tow a trailer. By that logic, all semi tractors are garbage- I cannot agree with that at all. Why the concern? Ive towed loads with several rigs, incl an F150, Suburban, and w/18 wheels etc- my favorite small rig is the Ford Explorer which happens to have a relatively short wheelbase.

I currently tow a 3023 with a six cylinder 4X4 Explorer Sport 2-door (102" wheelbase) that has handled all towing tasks, including a heavy power boat, extremely well so far on flats, in mountains, cross winds (live in Utah, btw). It backs like a dream with the short wheelbase. It does have aftermarket overload springs, bigger wheels, a wd hitch, and the OEM tow package that includes 4.1 gearing and rated for near 5000 lbs.

FWIW, I believe the important distance is between ball and the rear axle, not between axles when cross stability is concerned. My guess for the old wives tale is that the longer wheelbase might help when a wd hitch is NOT used- the longer lever would force more weight to the front wheels better than a short lever might. The wd hitch mechanically equalizes weight on all three axles.
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Old 03-31-2007, 08:41 PM   #5
Freedom
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The 18+ wheelers are engineered for towing a SEMI trailer. A whole different ball game than adding a trailer on the rear end of a vehicle that wasn't designed to tow a trailer. The big rigs have the weight right over the drive wheels and the suspension is built for the load. The tractor has such heavy suspension that if you bob-tail (Go without a trailer) it will almost jiggle your eyeteeth, especially on a concrete road! The reason that truckers like the conventional tractors is that they have a longer wheel base than the COE (Cab Over Engine). Most now have huge sleepers which contribute to an even longer wheelbase. (Did you know that U-Haul won't even rent a trailer to someone with an Exploder? (er. . make that Explorer) See this page: http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...aul-ford_x.htm
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Old 04-01-2007, 07:44 AM   #6
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"(Did you know that U-Haul won't even rent a trailer to someone with an Exploder? (er. . make that Explorer) See this page:"

Yes, but that's strictly related to lawsuits and greedy lawyers, not to towing performance. They'll rent to those using the Mercury Mountaineer, which is the same vehicle.
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Old 04-01-2007, 09:25 AM   #7
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Mr Freedom,.
Did I not just say that the distance between ball and rear axle is more important than between axles? I think you said the same thing in so many words. The Explorer Sport has rear wheels very near the bumper. I only said that the Explorer is one of the best all around tv's Ive personally used, but Ive used a lot of different rigs in the past, in work and play.

The Explorer stabilty/recall issue was about a few bad defective lots of OEM Goodyear tires and under inflation... all SUVs have a stability problem when drivers over react- simple physics, a function of a high center of gravity. Longer Semi tractors are preferred because they drive smoother, not because they do the job any better, and most of them allow the connect point to be moved forward for backing.

The same can be said about any vehicle- I happen to prefer the much better agility the shorter wheelbase provides- I can do a U-turn inside a normal road with in the Explorer. Very handy in off-road situations, on tight switchbacks, and backing a trailer into a tight spot.
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Old 04-01-2007, 02:01 PM   #8
shunter917
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I have been doing a lot of research on trailer length and wheelbase. Here is my 2 cents:

The most important issue when towing is weight - weight of the trailer, weight of the tongue, GVWR, GCWR, etc. Exceeding the weight limits of ANY tow vehicle is dangerous and foolish. For my money, I wouldn't exceed 80% of any of the weight ratings to make sure I had an edge toward safety. Pushing the numbers just doesn't make sense.

However, when talking about length - that's another issue. The problem with length is the possibility of sway, which can be very dangerous in and of itself.

The longer the wheelbase (WB), the better a vehicle will tow and tow more safely when using only a hitch ball and/or ball and WD hitch. A long wheelbase vehicle will be more stable with a long trailer.

After about 25' - 27' feet of trailer (or 27' - 30', depending on your safety comfort zone), it gets harder to tow safely with any vehicle without some sort of additional sway control, be it friction, dual cam or a Hensley Arrow hitch.

For the TM's, sway is of little concern - the rear axle on the trailer is situated very far back and the tongue weights are relatively heavy for their size. Both of these lead to a very stable, low sway probability, tow. The more important number by far is weight. If the TM being towed is well within the towing recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer, the TV payload is within the limits of the TV, and a WDH hitch, properly setup, is used, then all should be okay.

The Escape would NOT be a good TV for the 3326 because the weight ratings are all wrong - the TM is too heavy for that vehicle - but the 3326 length is not an issue.
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Old 04-01-2007, 04:48 PM   #9
fcatwo
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Just for clarification, I think it was Firestone and not Goodyear involved in the unfortunate Explorer case. We may all be riding on better OEM tires because of that fiasco.
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Old 04-01-2007, 05:39 PM   #10
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"... Escape would be the perfect vehicle to tow a 3326."

No idea, Ive never driven/towed with an Escape. Im just not convinced about the TV length issue being a big factor- it goes against my experience. I did try once to tow a trailer with a long wheel-based Mercury station wagon and I was not at all impressed- the springs were way too soft/ long overhang behind tires.

I suppose that I should also mention that towing a trailer is a different animal than driving a sports car on the freeway. Anticipation is a huge factor to keep out of trouble as is keeping speeds reasonable. I view towing requirements similar to driving on slick roads, especially going downhill.

BTW, I fully agree that the weight distribution, particularly on the ball, is THE most important factor in stability. Also, I'm sure the comment about Firestone tires is correct, thinking about it now. My bad.
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